Support

What is a camera Firmware Build?

RED has engineered the RED ONE to be capable of extraordinary performance, thanks to its sophisticated FPGA design. Although more expensive in nature to build, the system allows for re-programming, which allows capabilities to be added through firmware builds. With each build, the RED ONE becomes more feature-rich and exceeds the abilities originally imagined for it. With the implementation of each new Build, RED has exceeded the expectations of what people thought the original RED ONE was capable of. Offering lower compression codecs, higher resolution 4.5K Wide Screen recording capabilities and a broad range of color science tools and exposure aids, the RED One continues to evolve, with each release becoming a more formidable tool. Future builds will continue to fine tune, increase performance and solve new challenges, while always being free of charge and part of the experience for the RED ONE owner.

Where do I find the latest Firmware Build?

RED provides free downloads of Firmware Builds to all registered owners on its  Support page on RED.com. The download is then placed on a CF or SD card and placed in the camera. Upon booting, the camera's display will acknowledge the recognition of a new build on the inserted media and cue the user to accept or deny the process of upgrading the firmware.

How do I know what Build is on my RED ONE?

When the camera boots up, it displays the firmware build and serial number.

What is meant by a RAW recording?

One of the most unique features of the RED ONE is the fact that it captures information, unprocessed, off of a Bayer Pattern CMOS sensor. This raw data is simply all the information that the sensor is able to "see", comprising all color information in a single channel, and remains unprocessed in the recording chain. Identical to the way a DSLR still camera captures a RAW file, this enables the user to adjust parameters after the fact, as color, gain and sharpening can all be done post capture.

How does shooting RAW affect my white balance, levels, and exposure?

Shooting RAW differs from traditional video recording in that recording a video signal requires adjusting color temperature, gain, sharpening, knee, toe, pedestal and black levels prior to processing the signal. In a RAW capture, all this information can be addressed after the recording is made. The sensor simply captures what it sees and all processing takes place in post, offering the ability to make all adjustments for the perfect picture in the editing process. Exposure, in the form of shutter and iris, is the only finite adjustment that need be made, at time of capture, to obtain the best dynamic range in the image.

What is REDCODE® and what is meant by REDCODE® 28, 36 and 42?

REDCODE® is a visually lossless, wavelet-based compression codec that compresses the enormous 4K files into a more manageable size, allowing long recording times on media as small as a Compact Flash card. The ability to compress RAW data is one of the significant technologies that RED has brought to the industry. RED provides three compression settings in the RED ONE and describes the settings in terms of REDCODE 28, 36 and 42. Although it is tempting to ascribe MB/sec. to the three compression choices, they simply represent a rough value to the compression, which varies as a function of the image complexity and detail. Traditional shooting would be well suited to REDCODE 28, while REDCODE 36 or REDCODE 42, using less compression, would be beneficial for high detail or complex scenes. It's also important to note that these figures are megaBYTES per second, not megaBITS per second. As an example, HDV is a format that provides 25Mb/sec (megabits per second) while the RED ONE runs, as a default 4K, at roughly 28 MB/sec (megabytes per second), which is equivalent to 224 Mb/sec. (megabits per second), almost 10 times the amount of information as HDV.

Can I use 3rd party CF cards?

RED strongly recommends the use of RED branded cards. The degree of testing that RED's cards go through in order to pass specifications is a torture test for 99% of the cards out there. Due to the tremendous amount of data being written to these cards, it is only the very highest speed designs, purpose-built by RED partners, that can handle the data stream.

Can the RED ONE perform time-lapse or stop frame animation?

The RED ONE has a built-in intervalometer and the ability to capture single frame by automatic control, record button or GPI trigger.

What is the sensor size of a RED ONE?

The original RED ONE sensor, Mysterium®, is an APS-C sized sensor, similar in size to those used in DSLR still digital cameras, generally the same area as Super 35mm film. Sensor dimensions are 24.4mm x 13.7mm. In early 2010, an upgrade program was made available to current RED ONE owners, allowing them to upgrade their sensors to the ones being developed for the next generation EPIC and Scarlet cameras. Slightly larger, at 30mm x 15mm, the Mysterium-X™ sensor provided a gigantic gain in latitude, allowing a higher exposure rating as well as less noise in the floor. For minimal cost, RED ONE M-X literally became a new camera.

When shooting at different resolutions, what is the area of the sensor being used for 2K, 3K and 4K?

4K recording utilizes the full sensor, a 22.2mm x 12.6mm area, 3K uses a smaller windowed area at 16.65mm x 9.36mm area, and 2K uses an 11.1mm x 6.24mm portion of the sensor.

What does the term "scaled" refer to in contrast to "windowed"?

When shooting with the RED ONE, one is always benefited in shooting at 4K, which offers the highest legacy resolution possible, as well as offering the user the option of choosing a lower resolution finish with all the DOF control of full sensor recording. When choosing 2K or 3K acquisition, the RED sensor is "windowed", that is to say, a smaller area of the sensor is used, creating less selective focus, but having the advantage of allowing higher frame rates and longer recording times. Shooting 2K "scaled" means that the 4K area of the sensor is sampled and downrezed, or scaled, to 2K to enable a 2K recording with 4K DOF (depth of field). Scaled capture is not available on the RED ONE. Because scaling is processor intensive, requiring full sensor scan and de-interpolation, there is no frame rate increase with scaled technology. The beauty of shooting 4K originals is the ability to scale in post to any res necessary, 3K, 2K, 1080P, 720P, all with 4K DOF.

What is the focal length ratio, relative to 35mm still film, of each format?

Does the RED ONE allow for user-definable buttons?

The RED ONE offers the ability to custom define many of the control buttons on the RED ONE. These include the two user buttons on the side of the camera, as well as the ABC buttons to the left of the rear display. Two additional user buttons on the EVF as well as one button on the LCD can also be defined.

What resolution are the outputs on a RED ONE?

The EVF video output is 1280 x 848 and the LCD video output is 1024 x 600. 720P can be tapped from the HDMI and HD-SDI ports, while HD-SDI Dual Port and HDMI will provide 1080P output in playback only.

Is there a standard definition output on a RED ONE?

The RED ONE offers no standard definition output.

Does the RED ONE record audio?

While there are no internal microphones on a RED ONE, there are four discreet channels of mic level input provided, using four separate Mini-XLR connectors.

Can I play back footage on the RED ONE?

The RED ONE provides full playback in camera with audio available through the headphone jack.

I'm interested in understanding frame rates and recording times with various media as well as what resolution choices I have. Where do I find that info?

Because each Firmware Build can bring with it new camera specs and capabilities, the best and most up to date resource is the RED ONE Manual. This manual is available as a free download on the Downloads page. Loaded with valuable tables, menu maps and information, it is a must have resource for the RED ONE.